WHERE THE WILD THOUGHTS ARE.

I don't know what I did to deserve the Universe's blessings today but it happened anyway.

I now have a film camera - oh, and it's 7 years older than me.

It started off with Adam and I getting up bright and early for a shoot. It was a slow start, our client was a little behind schedule trying to get keys for the location. We sat down on the staircase, looking at our phones, and then I see this post on a Buy and Sell page.

Some girl was throwing out a bunch of stuff; there's a bunch of clothes and other miscellaneous things but then there's this old camera. It doesn't work, but hey, it's a camera. I figured since I got my girlfriend's grandmother's camera (which I'm pretty sure has been around longer than my parents), I might as well start a collection - like every photographer.

I couldn't stop thinking about this camera. I mean, she mentioned that it didn't work at all so what was I excited about? I cycle past the house anyway, "hold up," I tell Adam. I pick the camera from the bag and take the thing home.

It was a Pentax P3n.

What did that mean to me? Nothing, really. But I did a lot of research on it anyway and concluded that it was exactly the camera I've been missing. It was everything I'd been looking for:

Tough, compact, manual focus, partially automatic components, film - it was a great candidate for a personal and street photography camera, something I could throw in my bag and rely on for taking some memorable pictures...

...but it was also broken - or so the girl said so. Only the lens was obviously broken. I had to know for sure. I popped out the batteries, sent a message over to Wesley at the Camera Repair Centre on Hunter Street and was on my way there.

The guys over at the centre really deserve more credit than I'm giving them. Every time I'm there, they're warm and friendly. They're a wealth of information, they're witty, they're professional, they're right with you, whatever standard you hold yourself to.

After the trip to the Camera Repair Centre on Hunter Street, giving it a new set of batteries, a pack of film, a better lens, and a good cleaning, this camera was gleaming and ready to rock.

Let's put things into perspective. This camera was thrown out for free and I was expecting it to be broken - paperweight at best. But it turns out that this camera was a 1988 Pentax P3n with virtually no problems with it, other than it needed a change of batteries and a new lens (which is incredible quality for $20 to be honest).

This camera is 7 years older than me.

I'll let the guys at the repair centre speak for my luck: "we wish we could charge you for servicing this camera but there's nothing wrong with it. Go buy a lottery ticket."

I mean, it's not like I won the lottery, but when someone tells you to buy a lottery ticket, you can't help but wonder if the luck'll keep going.

See, the thing is, my luck is volatile: one day, I could lose all my photos because a hard drive died on me when I punched my laptop (this actually happened to me, don't punch your laptop when it lags, for the love of God). The next day, I could score $1200 worth of free furniture (this also actually happened - thanks Craig, hope you'll settle well in Ireland with your kids).

One day I could receive a phone call asking me if I want to join the World Curling Federation in Estonia for the World Junior Curling Championships and then again in Halifax for the World Men's Curling Championships. The next day, I could drop a 5lbs jar of Nutella and have to pay $40 for it (I hate Nutella now, by the way).

So what is this?

Is it luck - or is it my passion for photography having an organic affinity with the world around me?